Mizzou basketball snaps 20-game losing streak with victory over Howard

In the home opener of the 2024-25 season, the Missouri men's basketball team defeated the Howard Bison, 77-62, for their first win of the year.

The Tigers started the game strong on the defensive end, holding the Bison scoreless for the first 6:35. Howard didn’t hit its first field goal until the 12:41 mark of the first half.

For the Tigers, Mark Mitchell came out strong, scoring 14 of his 16 points in the first half. Defensively, he was a key factor throughout the first half as well.

While the Tigers scored 40 points in the first half, they struggled from beyond the arc, starting 0-of-10 from 3-point range. It took the entire half for the Tigers to connect from behind the arc, as Tamar Bates hit a 3 from the right wing to close out the half, giving Mizzou a 40-28 halftimed lead.

The Tigers shot a brutal 3-of-22 from 3-point range, while the Bison were impressive, shooting 10-of-19 from beyond the arc. On 2-point attempts, the Bison were 12-of-36, a 33% mark. In contrast, the Tigers excelled inside, shooting 21-of-29 from 2-point range.

In the second half, Marques Warrick played 10 minutes, contributing defensively with a steal and excellent rotations. He finished the game with 7 points and looked very comfortable on the floor.

One notable aspect for the Tigers was how they got to the free throw line early and often. They were 15-of-16 in the first half and finished the game 26-of-31 from the charity stripe, a strong 83.9% clip. This was a significant improvement over the 16-of-25 (64%) they shot in the season-opening loss to Memphis.

Ultimately, the Tigers were able to pull away late, extending what was a four-point lead to secure a 77-62 victory.

Mizzou's next contest will feature them hosting Eastern Washington at 6 p.m on Monday evening.